Star Wars: Broken Warriors
by OpticalRacer
Summary: Rann and Den are on a mission from the Alliance to Restore the Republic - make a new ally of a vigilante group calling themselves 'The Iron Gauntlet.' Not much is known about them other than they are ruthless enemies of the Empire... This is a follow-up to Star Wars: Darkness in the Light. Set 4 years ABY. Rated T for situations of similar style to the films.
1. Chapter 1

**Star Wars: Broken Warriors**

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

 _Hello there, fellow Star Wars fan! Thank you for your interest in my newest story Star Wars: Broken Warriors. What you have here is a continuation of stories I've been writing over the past several years which follows a group of OCs (that started with two young best friends) that gradually came together in various circumstances under the shadow of the Galactic Empire, inevitably becoming entangled in the civil war against the Empire. Many, many events transpired over the course of these stories.  
_

 _If you have been following my stories to this point, welcome back and thank you for sticking with it. If this is your first visit, a big welcome to you as well. Broken Warriors is both a follow-up and a side-story to my previous stories Star Wars: The Best Laid Plans and Star Wars: Darkness in the Light. _

_Broken Warriors centers around Rann Klepil, who was introduced in  The Best Laid Plans Episode 3, and Den Berikko, who was introduced in Darkness in the Light. Since so much has happened leading up to this story I suggest you check them out, good for catching up or revisiting the history of my characters. Please go to my profile page and follow the links there to read them.  
_

 _Before we start, I want to explicitly state that while the characters and situations presented in this story are my own, they reside within the realm of Star Wars, which was originally conceived by George Lucas and is currently owned by Lucasfilm/Disney. Thank you to Mr. Lucas for creating such a wonderful sandbox to play in._

 _So now... A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..._

* * *

 **Chapter I**

 _Pain. Indescribable pain. It was a pain so intense that it was blotted from her conscious memory. Still, it haunted her, re-manifested in occasional nightmares._

 _The last point where her memory was clear was being strapped to a table aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer. Over her stood a 2-1B droid. One such droid attended to her as a teenager convalescing aboard a MedStar after barely surviving the liberation of her homeworld at the end of the Clone Wars. But at this torture table sixteen years later, this particular droid was prominently emblazoned with an Imperial cogwheel emblem and one arm terminated with a nasty looking blaster. It pointed the barrel at her bare right foot, point blank. Then the searing pain began. And life as she knew it, ended._

* * *

At the point where flesh and bone met machine, Rann's right thigh burned terribly. From a small cabinet, she retrieved a dose of spice-derived pain killer. She had been warned of its addictive properties, but knew it wasn't some kind of phantom pain driven by a narcotic dependence on the drug. She still found it difficult to convince some people otherwise.

Rann took the medication and glared at her cybernetic leg, which was concealed by the single leg of her pant. She then looked at her real leg, exposed by the bikini-cut left pant leg, and gently rubbed it. Comforted by the warmth to the touch, she let out a soft sigh.

It has been almost four years since the destruction of the Empire's dreaded mega-weapon, the Death Star. It was a short-lived victory for the Alliance to Restore the Republic, but the conflict continued to spread throughout the galaxy as the demand for freedom from the Empire's tyrannical rule continued to rise. Some chose to seek out membership into the Alliance, and sometimes the Alliance sought out those who might wish to join.

Rann sat up from the bunk and walked up to the cockpit of the _Skimmer_. She sat down at the copilot's seat. "How's everything going, Den?" she asked with a smile.

He turned from the console to look at his lover. "Going very well, sweetheart." He stole a quick peck on her cheek. "We're right on schedule to Hyber."

The _Skimmer_ , a customized GAT-12 Skipray Blastboat, sped through hyperspace to her destination. The planet Hyber lacked an abundance of useful resources to exploit for the war effort and wasn't near any strategic hyperspace routes, so the Empire left the planet's insignificant population alone.

Rann and Den joined the Alliance nearly three years ago. Before that, she was from a band of bounty hunters, and he a freelance smuggler. They met through a chance encounter and were caught up in a struggle against the Empire. After the ensuing events, the Rebel Alliance gained new manpower in the form of several former bounty hunters and one former smuggler.

An indicator flashed and chirped on Den's console, drawing his gaze away from Rann. "We're coming up on the Hyber system. Prepare to exit hyperspace." He threw the switch and the wormhole quickly dissipated into a view full of stars and the planet nearby.

Rann picked up a datapad and began reading through the intel data again. "So how much do we know about 'The Iron Gauntlet'?"

"That they hate the Empire and are good at it," Den answered with a smile. "What more do you need?"

"Cute," she answered as she swiped her finger across the screen. "They don't advertise themselves outside of attacking Imperial ships. They strike fast and are gone. Based on the group's movements, Alliance Intelligence could only suspect that they reside on or near Hyber." She looked up from the datapad. "Even if we can find The Iron Gauntlet before the Empire does, I don't know how we're supposed to convince them to join the Alliance."

"You didn't want this mission to be easy, did you? That'd make it boring."

She playfully slapped the datapad on his shoulder. "I left 'boring' many years ago."

"We'll see what the locals can tell us and go from there. Maybe we'll be lucky."

"You really think the Empire wouldn't bother with the place if an anti-Imperial guerrilla group was based there?"

Den shook his head. "If you don't believe we can find them, why'd you take this mission with me?"

"If you have to ask, you'll get a boot to the head."

Den looked at her, only to be met with a serious glare. "I love you too," Den said with a chuckle.

"That's what I thought," Rann returned with a satisfied nod.

* * *

The first thing the surface of Hyber revealed was a lack of substantial settlements. Den guided the _Skimmer_ to land near the largest town he saw. Much of the planet surface appeared to be dominated by vast grasslands but significant vegetation and crops grew in and around the town. There wasn't an obvious spaceport, so they landed next to an open field at the edge of the settlement.

Even though there was no apparent Imperial presence, Rann and Den still left the _Skimmer_ with blaster pistols on their belts. To not be prepared in terra incognita would be asking for trouble.

The first people they encountered were tending crops in the middle of a large nearby field of grain. The farmers stopped their work and stared silently at the newcomers.

Rann raised an open hand above her head. "Hello!" she called out. The farmers only continued to stare. Their facial expressions could not be determined from the distance.

Den raised an eyebrow. "What's their deal?"

"I dunno, but at least they're not hostile."

"Well, let's move along before they become hostile!"

The pair came to a well-worn dirt road that ran along a fenced-in field through which a herd of grazing nerfs lazily roamed.

Den stopped and rubbed his chin as he watched the large beasts. "Quite quaint, isn't it?"

"What does that mean?" Rann enquired as she turned back to face him.

"Nothing! I guess I haven't seen this much farmland in my travels."

Rann shook her head. "I suppose you wouldn't come across very many nerf herders in your line of work. Farmers wouldn't have the kind of money to cover a smuggler's going rate." She smiled smugly.

" _Discreet couriers_ ," he returned with a scowl.

Rann loved pushing Den's buttons. Outside of calling his former career 'smuggling', he had so few of them to play with. She took his left hand and they continued down the dirt road. While the synthskin covering his mechanical hand almost felt like real skin, there was no warmth to it. It took a while, but she was now used to the way it felt. The subtle limp imposed by her cybernetic leg was slightly exaggerated due to having to navigate the path's uneven surface.

* * *

After about a half hour of walking, Rann and Den came to the outskirts of what could only be the town proper. Very little appeared to be of a manufactured nature. The small buildings were built from various combinations of wood and stone. There were water wells scattered throughout. The streets that were paved were covered with cobblestone. The people, all human, wore clothing that was more of a utilitarian, basic design. Nothing was particularly stylish or made of more modern and expensive materials. The town almost seemed like it hadn't yet entered into the industrial age.

Not everything was totally primitive, however. Nerf-drawn carts rolled on wheels or floated on repulsorlift generators in roughly equal numbers. Low-tech combustion engine wheeled cars were the norm for faster transport, but not without the occasional landspeeder. A short distance away, Rann and Den spotted a building that rose above the rest toward the center of town topped by a small array of antennae and dishes that suggested a communications and sensor system.

Den pointed to that building. "Maybe we should start there first."

Rann nodded. "Sure. If anyone would know about the Iron Gauntlet group, someone there should." Her words were punctuated by a loud grumbling in her belly.

Den raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should get something to eat first," he said.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

Den playfully looked all over the place then leaned in to whisper, "I thought I heard a gastric disturbance in the Force!"

"Here's your gastric disturbance," she quickly answered as she gave him a strong jab in his gut. He responded with an exaggerated _OOOF!_ that made her giggle. She caught something out of the corner of her eye and reflexively turned toward it, ready for a confrontation.

A few of the local villagers had stopped what they were doing and collectively stared at Rann and Den during their playful exchange.

Den cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. "C'mon sweetie. Let's get some chow." He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the onlookers.

* * *

The pair found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant a short distance away from the tall building and went inside. It was no more than a small kitchen area behind a wooden bar and four small tables with two chairs each. Three stools stood at the bar, one occupied by an older, balding man chatting with the cook, who was a woman with long graying hair and weathered face. The place was otherwise empty.

"I've learned that when a joint is empty, it means the food's terrible," Den jokingly whispered.

Rann only glared at him and stepped inside. He shrugged and followed her. The cook and patron both looked at the newcomers. They shared the same vague expression – hard to tell if they were suspicious or confused. Or both.

"Can I help yeh?" the cook asked in thickly-accented Basic.

"Well, we'd like to order some food," Rann answered.

"Neveh seen yeh 'round before," the old man said. "Yeh don' even soun' familieh."

Den leaned forward slightly. "We're not from around here, so I don't expect us to be _familieh_." He chuckled.

The patron stood up, nearly knocking his stool over in the process. "Yeh makin' fun of us?" His mouth curled downwards in contempt.

"Now, now Sam," the cook said, reaching her hand out to the old man, "Theh's no need feh yeh to get upset. These strangehs don' know what theh sayin'."

"These strangehs are a bit _too_ strange feh me, Mila!" Sam said as he sat down hard on his stool. He glared at Den. "Where yeh from, then?"

Den pointed back out the door of the establishment. "We came from a village far over the snowy mountains."

Sam guffawed as he pointed in the same direction. "The ocean's that-a-way! Yeh wanna try again?"

Mila raised an eyebrow. "Alright, strangehs. Yeh obviously offworldahs. Who are yeh, really?"

"We're here looking for The Iron Gauntlet," Rann replied.

Suddenly, Mila gasped and Sam jumped up with balled fists. "What are yeh," the old man yelled, "filthy 'borgs?!"

Rann and Den took a step back in unison. Rann turned to Den, "How'd they-"

Den took her arm and started to step back outside. "No time Rann. I don't think we're welcome here."

Mila produced an antiquated slugthrower rifle from behind the bar and pointed it at Rann and Den. "Yeh stop right there, offworldahs. Don' give us any trouble and yeh be not harmed."

Rann reached down for her blaster, but Den stopped her. "Not now. Let's go."

As they turned to leave, they heard the characteristic percussive blast of a slugthrower shot. Mila fired at Rann's right leg, aiming to take her down non-lethally. Instead, the bullet tore a small hole in her pant leg at the thigh and ricocheted harmlessly off of the durasteel mechanisms. In an instant, Rann spun around, drew her blaster and fired at Mila, hitting her gun arm. The older woman shrieked as she dropped her rifle and grabbed her wound.

"Let's go!" Den yelled as he darted out the door. Rann quickly followed.

They could hear Sam holler out from the restaurant, "Alarm! Alarm!"

Rann and Den darted out of the restaurant before only to be completely surrounded by a circle of locals. A few of them displayed weapons. Nothing of the blaster variety, but still dangerous. All looked like they were ready to take down these newcomers who've apparently disturbed their peaceful day.

Den raised his hands. "Looks like it's time to stop." He noticed that Rann hesitated, her hand still hovering over her holstered blaster. He glared at her. "Rann!" She jerked her hands up over her head and breathed a gruff sigh of annoyance as the crowd cautiously approached them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

* * *

 _Her leg burned like hellfire, but she couldn't scream. She only lay still in silent agony. Things were different from when her memory last ended, however. Barely perceptible from within her chasm of pain, the table she lay on now felt like a soft bed and the restraints like a warm blanket. Her eyes gently fluttered._

 _"Welcome back, my dear," said a matronly, comforting female voice. "The fact that you're still with us is testament to your strength."_

 _"I-I c-can't…move," the young woman said as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to see her caregiver._

 _"We applied a cervical spinal nerve block to keep you still. Don't worry, it's temporary."_

 _"W-why is my right…leg killing me?"_

 _"You shouldn't be feeling a thing with the nerve block." The comforting voice clearly conveyed concern._

 _The young woman grimaced. "Well…I am…all the way down…to my foot."_

 _"Well, my dear, that's simply not possible."_

 _"Why?" She felt a slight pressure on the back of her neck and started slowly moving her arms._

 _"Maybe you should see for yourself, sweetheart."_

 _The young woman tried to sit up, but her body was slow to respond. She felt a pair of strong hands help her up. She looked down toward the foot of the bed and squinted her eyes to focus on her legs. Her left leg formed a properly-contoured outline from underneath the blanket. She then looked to her right leg, the one that was torturing her so. Her eyes grew fearfully wide and she trembled. The blanket lay flat where her leg should've been._

 _She quickly threw the blanket aside and screamed at what she didn't see._

Rann and Den were led unbound but disarmed to the tall building in the center of town. This was the administrative center of the settlement, so their initial assessment was accurate. Once inside, they were brought to a large office. Once inside, they could see examples of a much higher level of technology than the rest of the village. There were control consoles and holo-monitors. The room was brightly lit by artificial sources, and the walls seemed to be partially made from duracrete. At the center was a large desk with a holo-terminal to one side and a couple of datapads to the other.

A man and a woman sat at a console at the other side of the office focusing on some kind of data on the screen. They ignored the group that had just come in behind them.

Sam, who was standing at the head of the group with Mila, loudly cleared his throat. "Ma'am Admin'strateh. We got a ser'us issue that needs yeh 'tention."

The woman glanced back at him then softly spoke to the man next to her. "Keep workin' on it," she said, barely within earshot of the newcomers.

The woman stood up and walked toward the desk and the visitors on the other side of it. She wore an outfit of browns and blues which looked to be part casual robes, part formal suit. Her straight dark hair hung to her waist and she had dark eyes to match. Her tanned complexion showed that she had worked her fair share outdoors. She looked fairly young to be the Administrator of a village, somewhere in her early thirties like Rann and Den. But she stepped with a confident swagger that suggested a long tenure in leadership.

"Sam, what's all this 'bout?" she asked.

He bowed his head. "Ma'am Admin'strateh, these two strangehs came in'ta town and started trouble." He gestured to Rann and Den who stood right behind him.

The Administrator tilted her head slightly, showing a hint of interest. "Who are yeh, strangehs?"

Den bowed at the waist. "We're from the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Madame Administrator. My name is Den Berikko, and she's Rann Klepil." He gestured to his partner standing next to him.

"I am Admin'strateh Kirin," she returned with a confident smile. "And what were yeh doin' here in our village?"

"We just wanted something to eat at your restaurant!" Rann blurted out.

"Theh be 'borgs, Ma'am Admin'strateh! An' theh shot Mila!" He gestured at Mila's now-bandaged arm.

Rann shook her head. "No! That was an accident!"

"'Borgs, eh Sam?" Administrator Kirin said. "What makes yeh think that?"

"This!" Sam barked as he crouched down and tore at the hole in Rann's right pant leg, making it bigger and exposing more of the silvery polished durasteel limb beneath.

Rann swatted at the old man's head. "Hey! Don't do that!"

Kirin slightly nodded. "I see. I 'sume yeh naked one is real, or is that synthskin?"

Rann scowled at the Administrator. "It's real!" It was something she had to remind herself of on many past occasions.

"Uh, Sam," Den said as he lightly tapped the man's shoulder. "How'd you know about that before you shot at her?"

Sam growled. "Who else'd ask feh those blasted Iron Gaun'let… _people_." The emphasis was one of disgust.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rann asked, her face wrinkled with confusion.

Kirin sat down at her desk. "Yeh must not know who yeh be asking 'bout. Sam, Mila, yeh the only ones involved in this. Yeh and the strangehs will stay. Ever'one else, get back to yeh work."

As the other villagers left Kirin's office, she bade Den and Rann to sit in the chairs in front of the desk. Sam brought another pair of chairs over for Mila and himself.

"So, yeh seek the Iron Gaun'let," Kirin began. "But yeh seem to be ig'nrant as to who theh be."

Rann cocked her head in confusion. "We know they hate the Empire. We're here to recruit them to the Alliance's cause."

Sam guffawed, but was quickly silenced by a stern _shush!_ from Kirin.

"What's that all about?" Den quietly asked Rann.

"It means yeh don' know the monsters theh are!" Sam snapped back. "Theh be 'borgs, just like yeh!"

"What?!" Den yelped. "That detail wasn't part our information."

Kirin shook her head. "I believe these offworldehs aren' like them, Sam." She locked her eyes with Rann's. "At least, theh don' seem like it."

Den shifted in his chair. "Madame Administrator, if you say they're 'monsters', I can assure you we're not."

"Then yeh should reconsideh seekin' them out," Kirin said with a frown. "And kindly get yehselves off of Hyber before yeh bring the blasted Empire here."

"It's bad enough the Iron Gaun'let stirs the pot when theh do theh shenanigans," Sam growled. "We be afraid theh'd bring the Empire's wrath 'pon us."

"Please understand we try keepin' our simple lives outside the conflict," Kirin sternly added. "The Empire leaves us alone as long as nothin' happens that theh could see as cont'ry to theh rule."

Rann jerked forward in her chair. "And you think it'll always be that way? There'll come a time when the Empire will build a base on Hyber and make your life really un-simple!"

"In the twenty-some standard years since theh came to be, the Empire has wanted naught to do with our world."

Den reclined and folded his arms over his chest. "Just wait, Madame Administrator. Your time is gonna come. And you better hope the Imps like your home cooking!"

Visibly perturbed, Kirin stood up. "That's enough from yeh! Yeh'll be escorted back to yeh ship and leave immediately."

Rann angrily stood up. "That's just fine with me!"

As Rann turned to leave, Den added, "What if we take the Iron Gauntlet with us? I'm sure you'd like them off your world too."

Kirin scoffed. "Theh don' care much for the Rebellion either. Yeh can try. Just don' be ang'rin' the Empire in the process."

"If you can point us in the right direction, we'll do our best not to," Den returned.

"We don' know where theh are, 'xactly," Sam grumbled.

Kirin shook her head. "Theh may be hid on Hyber, or mayhap some nearby system. But theh be close enough that sometimes the Empire comes sniffin' 'round."

Rann frowned. "So how do we find them then?"

"Not our problem!" Sam barked back.

Den shifted toward the older man. "It _is_ your problem, especially if we can take them away from your world."

"Like we said," Kirin interjected, "we don' know where theh are. It is time for yeh to go." She pressed a button on her large desk, and moments later a pair of men carrying carbine slugthrowers walked in.

Rann and Den turned toward the armed men as they approached.

"We're _sorry_ to have _bothered_ you," Rann said over her shoulder with a scowl. Den forcefully took her by the wrist, pulling her away with him.

"Take these offworldehs back to theh ship," Kirin told one of the men. "Make sure theh take off before yeh leave them."

He bowed. "Yes Ma'am Admin'strateh." He and his partner subtly gestured to Rann and Den with their carbines and the quartet left the office.

Sam shook his head. "I hope theh don' come back."

"If theh do," Kirin said, "we'll have to take care o' them before theh draw the Empire or the 'borgs with them."

* * *

Rann and Den led the way back to the _Skimmer_ with the two armed men right behind them. Villagers stopped and stared out of curiosity at the pair as they walked past. Rann felt like every pair of Hyberian eyes could see right through her.

"I'll be glad to be off this upside-down world anyway," she said.

Den turned his head toward her. "Are you forgetting our mission?"

"Of course not. But it's clear the Iron Gauntlet isn't on Hyber."

"Even the Administrator wasn't sure of that."

As they walked along, they didn't notice that a small girl was walking beside them. She lightly giggled, which startled Den.

"Yeh lookin' for da Ay-urn Gant-let, huh?" the girl asked with a very thick and broken accent. She couldn't have been more than eight years old.

Den raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what of it, squirt?"

The girl shook her head. "I'm not Skwurt! I'm Yanii!" She was clearly annoyed, but her small voice sounded more cute than angry.

"Of course you are," Rann answered with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Yanii. I'm Rann and my rude friend here is Den."

Unsure of how to address the girl, Den simply waved and grinned awkwardly.

"Muh mum say da Ay-urn Gant-let are bad pee-pul." Yanii scratched her curly-haired head as if she were thinking hard. "Are yeh bad pee-pul too?"

Rann shook her head. "No, sweetie we're not. And we're not sure the Iron Gauntlet are all _that_ bad."

"Mee too! Theh be 'borgs. I'd like tuh see 'em close!"

"And why is that?" Den asked.

"Cuz theh be mash-eens. Mash-eens are neeto!"

Rann cocked her head with confusion. "What do you know about machines? You don't have many around here."

Yanii emphatically nodded her head once. "Zactlee! Wheelie carts're dummy! But floaty ones're neeto! We don' hav-vanuff"

Den turned to Rann and chuckled. "Whaddya know, the squirt likes repulsorlifts!"

"Yanii! Not Skwurt!" the girl squeaked as she hit Den in the knee.

Jokingly, he turned to one of the escorts. "Hey, I'm getting beat up here!" The escort ignored Den, but Rann couldn't help but laugh.

"Then don' call me Skwurt!" Yanii said with a pout. "Yeh hav-va ship?"

Den sighed. "That's where we're headed, squ-I mean, Yanii."

"I wanna see! Mash-eens are neeto!"

He smiled down at the girl. "Machines are neato, huh?" He pulled his sleeve cuff up from his left wrist. "Here, look at this." He held his exposed wrist toward Yanii and opened the small flap in the synthskin. The little girl could see the mechanisms shift and twist inside as he flexed his fingers.

She jumped back in surprise. "A mash-een!"

Den closed his wrist and replaced his shirt sleeve. "Just my hand."

"Yeh lost yeh old one," Yanii said with a frown.

"It's okay. This hand works just as well."

"Yeh be a 'borg, like da Ay-urn Gant-let?"

Den shrugged. "That's what we've been told."

"Mash-eens are neeto!" She happily repeated as she skipped alongside them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

* * *

 _"You're doing a good job, keep it up," she was told as she tried to walk with her new mechanical leg. The medical gown allowed her unencumbered motion, but wasn't long enough to completely hide the leg from view. She had to fight hard to keep from throwing up at the sight of the metal construct that had replaced her right leg._

 _She howled in pain and frustration. "That's easy for you to say, Berini!"_

 _"So what if it is, Rann? This is reality, and you need to face it! If you're going to be part of my crew, you're going to have to be tough!"_

 _Rann growled through gritted teeth. Her face was red from anger and pain. She struggled to make the leg move again, only to be answered by another wave of searing pain where the cybernetics met her flesh and bone. She collapsed to the floor._

 _Berini knelt down next to her. "C'mon, you don't want those Imperial snakes to win, do you?!"_

 _Rann found it hard to talk and breathe at the same time. "No, but-"_

 _"But what? Should I have left you in that dark alley, clinging to life in the cold rain? I could've spent the credits on something else besides your leg but I saw great fortitude in you. I know you can do it. You just have to fight!"_

 _"Aaarrrghhh!" Rann screamed as she struggled back up. "I hate this leg! I hate what I've become because of it!"_

 _The tall older woman shook her head. "Hate those who tortured you, not the leg that will give you your independence back!"_

 _"I hate the Empire! They've made me useless! Made me less than human!" She used her anger to force the leg to move again._

 _"You are no less human than the day you were born. I'm your captain now, and I order you to walk!"_

* * *

Rann and Den, with their escorts, made it to the edge of the main part of town. Yanii playfully walked beside them all the way. All that was left was to go past the expansive crop fields to where the _Skimmer_ was landed. Everybody stopped.

"Time for you to go back home, Yanii," one of the escorts said.

The little girl frowned. "But I wanna see da ship!"

"He's right," Rann added. "Your parents are probably worried about you."

"Theh not!" Yanii grunted in reply. "Muh Pah-"

Rann put her hand on the little girl's shoulder as she crouched down in front of her. "It was nice to meet you, but we need to go now." The hole torn in her right pant leg shifted, allowing the gleaming metal underneath to catch the sunlight.

Yanii sniffled as she pointed to the hole. "But mash-eens are neeto."

"We'll meet again, I promise," Rann said with a smile.

"No we won'," the little girl snapped back. "Da grow-ups don' like 'borgs!" She turned and ran away crying. Rann stood up, heartbroken.

Den squeezed her shoulder. "She'll be okay."

"Hmmm," Rann replied with uncertainty.

* * *

After a 15-minute walk, Rann and Den boarded the _Skimmer_ without so much as a single word exchanged with their escorts. The modified Skipray Blastboat lifted into the air and climbed into the sky before the escorts left.

As the ship broke orbit from Hyber, Den set the heading towards the outer edge of the system. He looked at Rann, who said nothing to him since they'd taken off. He engaged the engines and sat back in his chair. "You really liked Yanii, didn't you?"

She looked at him wistfully. "Yeah, she was so sweet. And she wasn't afraid of us being cyborgs."

"Sure she likes machines, but she also knew that we were still _people_ even with our mechanical parts. You tend to forget that sometimes."

Rann crossed her arms over her chest. "Well then, how do we go about finding the _people_ we're looking for?" She glared at him.

"Simple! Get out into the great wide open and set the _Skimmer_ 's transponder to an Imperial code." He entered the new transponder configuration on his console. "If we stink like an Imp ship then the Iron Gauntlet should come to us like blood flies to fresh bantha dung!"

Rann winced in disgust. "I could've done without _that_ imagery."

"Ay-urn Gant-let?" squeaked a small voice from the aft hold.

Den's face turned ghostly pale. "Oh, no," he muttered as he palmed his face.

"Yanii?" Rann called out as she spun her seat around. The little girl trotted into the small cockpit area.

The girl smiled a cute cheesy grin that filled her petite face. "Hiiii!"

Den turned back to his console and rolled his eyes. "I know. Machines are neato…"

"Hey," Rann said, looking Yanii straight in the eyes, "you can't be here. You belong back home with your family."

"Theh okay wit'out me. I just wanna see da Ay-urn Gant-let pee-pul! Muh Pah-Pah-"

"Oh, no you don't!" Den yelped as he punched some buttons on his console. "You're going back, squirt."

Yanii balled her fists. "I'm… Not… Skwurt!"

Just then, alarm klaxons screeched.

"What the-!" Den exclaimed as he performed a sensor sweep. "We've got somebody coming up fast on our rear port-side quarter."

"'Somebody'?" Rann said as she peered over his shoulder to look at the readouts. "Who?"

Den shook his head, "I'm not sure. But they're a lot bigger than us."

"Imperials?"

"Dunno. Go belt yourselves in. I don't care to hang around and find out!"

Rann grabbed Yanii's wrist and pulled her back from the cockpit. "C'mon sweetie." She sat the young girl in one of the seats right behind the cockpit and strapped her in. Rann did the same at the seat across the narrow aisle from her.

Den opened the sublight engines' throttle to full and the _Skimmer_ vigorously lurched forward in response. "I'm going to try to keep some distance while I calculate the jump to light speed!"

Rann spun her seat around to operate the sensors console. She checked the readings. "You're right about them being bigger than us. Well over 200 meters in length!"

"What kind of ship?" Den called back from the cockpit.

"Don't know. Doesn't look like anything I've seen before."

"Well, we're not going to get close enough to find out."

Rann nervously checked the console again. "They're still gaining on us!"

"I need another minute or two for the navcomputer to finish the calculations!"

Rann unbuckled herself from her seat and made her way back to the dorsal laser turret. "Then we'll be close enough to find out what this blasted ship is," she said as she climbed up the access ladder. When she settled into the turret chair she glanced over towards their pursuer's position and gasped. "You'd better hurry up!"

"Why?" Den answered back over his shoulder.

"I've got a bad feeling about this!" Rann exclaimed as she turned the turret toward their pursuer. "It looks like a huge mish-mash of different ships!"

What she saw were recognizable sections of various ships' hulls, such as a Corellian CR90, a bulk freighter and pieces of various makes of larger starfighters. It looked like a jumbled mess that was held together by spit and a prayer. Truth was that it was solid and fast and well-armed. And it was quickly gaining on the _Skimmer_.

Rann leaned over back towards the turret's entry hatch. "Den, I'm not gonna even bother firing at that thing!"

Den nodded his head as he was frenetically working the console. "I agree! Get back down here. We're gonna make the jump!"

The _Skimmer_ violently shook and quickly lost forward velocity. Den double-checked his readings. "Aww hell…"

"Attention Imperial Skipray," a voice over the comlink blared, "you are caught in our tractor beam. Stand down or you will be destroyed. This is your only warning."

Rann made her way back to the cockpit and leaned over Den's shoulder. " _Imperial_ Skipray?"

Den shook his head and chuckled with resignation. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to broadcast Imperial codes after all." He powered down the sublight drives and threw his hands up in frustration. "We're stuck."

"The Iron Gauntlet," Rann said with a sigh. "Looks like our bantha dung was a little _too_ fresh."

"Da Ay-urn Gant-let?" Yanii squealed from her seat. "Neeto!"

Rann chuckled. "We better hope they're 'neato' or we're in for a world of hurt."

Den spun his seat around to face Yanii and Rann. "Sit tight, girls. It's all we can do for now."

* * *

The prow of the larger vessel opened up like the maw of a giant interstellar beast to reveal a landing bay within. The tractor beam holding the _Skimmer_ slowly pulled her back like an invisible tongue drawing its prey into its mouth.

As the _Skimmer_ slipped inside of the larger ship, Den could see that the interior of the space was a similar sort of chaotic build as the exterior. He switched his ship into landing configuration, extending the landing struts and rotating the vertical stabilizers into the horizontal position.

The _Skimmer_ came to rest next to a quintet of compact attack shuttles, each armed with a pair of laser cannons that jutted out from their noses like fangs. Out the forward viewport, Rann and Den could see the large forward hatch of the hangar close.

Den undid the restraint on his seat and stood up. "C'mon Rann. Let's see what our hosts are like."

"Sounds good to me," she replied as she reflexively grabbed her blaster holster. Den snatched it from her grasp.

"Not this time, sweetheart. That'd be a death sentence."

"O-of course. Force of habit." She gave him an innocent smile, which he returned with a raised eyebrow.

Yanii hopped out of her seat. "Yay! We gonna meet da Ay-urn-" She was cut off by a stern grab of the arm.

"Not you, squirt," Den said as he gently but forcefully pulled the girl back to her seat. "You stay right here until we come get you. Understand?"

Yanii silently stared back at him with an angry pout.

Den stood up and nodded. "Good!" After he turned away from Yanii, she stuck her tongue out at him.

Rann and Den slowly and carefully egressed the _Skimmer_ , making sure to look not the least bit threatening. When they caught first sight of the greeting party, the main piece of information the Alliance lacked hit them hard. Before them stood four cyborgs, three males and a female. All of them were human, save for a shirtless muscular male Zabrak with an oversized robotic left arm and a metal plate covering a portion of his horned skull.

The one cyborg that stood out over the others was the woman in front. Her legs were completely replaced with robotic digitigrade ones, finished off in large raptor-like talons for feet. The cybernetics extended all the way up past her knees. Reinforcing struts reached up the sides of the brief remainder of her natural legs to round constructs where her hip sockets would be. She was scantily dressed, which kept her mechanical legs fully visible. While it looked like she would've been of average human height with her natural legs, these inhumanly-shaped legs made her stand over two meters. Of the group of cyborgs, she was the only one not armed with a blaster. Her physical appearance alone was intimidating enough. However, Rann merely found her repulsive.

The woman approached Rann and Den, requiring only a couple of steps due to her long stride. Her leg servos flexed loudly, and her talons made a sharp metallic clank on the deck plates with each footfall. Going by the sounds alone, she may as well been some kind of large droid or walker-type vehicle.

She glared down at Rann and Den, spending some time before speaking to them. "You can't possibly be Imperial soldiers," she scoffed.

Rann returned the glare. "Good guess, Professor Obvious!"

The woman quickly swung one of her legs up and grabbed Rann's shoulder with the talon. With a quick flick of the heel joint, she threw Rann face-first to the deck, painfully pinning her down by the shoulder.

Rann screamed and yelled expletives while futilely trying to escape the grasp of the mechanical talon. Her shoulder wasn't bearing any weight from the cyborg, but was solidly clamped down in place.

Den rushed the cyborg. "Let her go, you freak!"

He was quickly silenced by a stun blast from one of the other cyborgs and spilled to the deck. Rann yelped when he tumbled into her. Two of the cyborgs hefted Den up and carried him off as Rann was released and taken into custody by the Zabrak.

As she was being led away from the _Skimmer_ , she realized that Yanii was still aboard. She glanced back and saw the cyborg woman crouch down and enter the ship. Rann's heart dropped, but she remained silent. She hoped that Yanii's fascination with cyborgs would keep them from harming her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

 _Rann walked on her cybernetic leg with more stability after weeks of physical therapy. A slight limp marred an otherwise steady gait, and the pain where the mechanisms joined to her flesh and bone chronically burned like hellfire. She kept the pain under control using spice-derived painkillers, but would need to be on them constantly to be effective._

 _She sat up on the bed in her room in the med center, dressing herself in something other than a medical gown for the first time since being found after her torture at the hands of the Empire. Rann chose a plain, but comfortable tank top with a jacket and black boots. Her pants, however, were more of an unusual design. Her left leg was left completely bare in a bikini-like cut, attractive but pale from long weeks indoors. Her mechanical right leg was completely covered by a full-length pant leg. She was finally going to leave, but she wasn't sure where she was going to go._

 _The door opened and in walked Berini. "It's about time you finished lying around here," she said with a smile._

 _Rann stood up. "Come to take me away for my indentured servitude?"_

 _"I never imposed any obligation on you if that's what you mean," Berini answered with a raised eyebrow._

 _"So you helped me out of the kindness of your heart?"_

 _The taller woman laughed. "I'm just a softie when it comes to charity cases. Does this mean you're reconsidering my gracious offer?"_

 _"To join your band of merry maidens? Why should I?"_

 _Berini crossed her arms. "Do I need to go over it again?" She sighed before continuing. "My crew and I are bounty hunters, just like you were once. And all of my girls came from some kind of broken background, some being survivors of Imperial atrocities, like you."_

 _Rann stood there before Berini, silently listening._

 _"My Dear, whatever opportunities that came your way in the past are nothing compared to the grand opportunity I offer you now. You'll live free with a sisterhood who understands what you've gone through. You'll be able to use your exceptional skills to make a living again. I'm sure you miss shooting." Berini punctuated her statement with a wink._

 _Rann slightly nodded. "Yeah…"_

 _"I know you've got no other plans, so that settles it. Welcome to your new life aboard the_ Queen Valkyrie _!" The hefty captain led the young woman out of the room._

* * *

Den came to while his captors were dragging him through the corridor. He stumbled to his feet as quickly as he could, but the cyborgs did not release their hold on him.

"Okay guys, you can let go now," Den said as he wriggled in their grasp. The cyborgs forcefully pushed him forward and let go, causing him to nearly fall forward on his face.

Rann followed right behind with the Zabrak cyborg. "That was uncalled for!" she said as she witnessed Den's abuse.

Her escort gave her a light but forceful shove. "Be quiet or I'll shut you up!" he barked. Rann gave him a nasty sneer, which was answered with a stronger shove.

The network of corridors had little semblance of order. Having been constructed from the structures of various ships of unrelated designs, the passageways were more like a maze.

 _Must be hell to get around in an emergency_ , Rann thought as she surveyed her surroundings.

The cyborgs led their prisoners into a room that looked more like an infirmary. Medical gear of every kind was set up in different parts of the large space. On one side was a nook that clearly served as a surgery room. In the center of the nook was a large operating table with overhead direct lighting and a pair of dormant FX-7 medical droids. Another housed a full-sized bacta tank.

The most distinctive feature in the infirmary was a large rectangular durasteel box lying flat in the center of the space. The mysterious construct had numerous cable bundles and conduits leading into it. Its size and shape gave the vague suggestion of being a coffin of some sort.

A wizened old man briskly walked up to the prisoners, his energy belying his age. He eyed both of them, but focused on Rann more. "Greetings, greetings. I am Doctor Aram, cyberneticist. Who are you?"

"The name's Den Berikko," the former smuggler answered, "and this is Rann Klepil."

Aram leaned in towards Rann. "I see, I see." He pointed an open hand to Rann's right leg. "You're a cyborg!" he excitedly exclaimed.

"So what if I am?" Rann snapped back, trying to hide her nervousness.

"I noticed your leg through the hole in your clothes." A smile formed across his wrinkled lips that actually scared her. "Might I take a closer look?"

Rann stiffened up in her captor's grasp. "You may _not_!" The Zabrak's large mechanical hand then clenched around her neck. He growled menacingly.

Aram chuckled. "Kam disagrees with you, as do I. You will stand still while I have a look. Your head need not be connected to your shoulders for me to inspect your leg."

Rann swallowed hard and nodded her head as much as Kam's hand would allow.

The doctor knelt down and pulled at the hole torn in her pant leg. He ripped it the rest of the way, exposing the silvery limb from thigh to boot. Rann felt humiliated, like she had just been stripped naked for public viewing.

Aram stroked the mechanisms and hummed with great interest. "Fascinating, fascinating." He stood back up. "You have quite a pretty leg there, girl. Great care and technique went into the design. I've not seen anything this special in a long time, long time." He pointed to the cyborg escorts. "As you can see, my designs are more utilitarian than artistic. The real beauty lies within exceeding the original functionality of flesh and bone, not merely mimicking the form."

Rann couldn't hide the disgust in her face or voice. "I noticed. Your work is ideal for a traveling freak show."

"Ahhh, but my girl, my 'freak show' can perform a great many feats more than normal beings. Your leg may be shaped like a natural one and polished like a sculpture, yet you still walk with a limp. Pretty, but encumbered."

Rann scowled. "A _slight_ limp!"

The doctor cocked his head and raised an eyebrow as he took note of her already-exposed left leg. "You chose to hide your cyber-leg. Why?" He was answered with silence. "Oh well, oh well," he sighed. "Doesn't really matter."

Aram walked over to the steel sarcophagus and pushed a couple of buttons on the side. A deep hum and shrill hiss filled the air as a pneumatic piston slowly pushed the box upright until it was almost vertical. The lid slid open and steam or something like it poured out. When the mist cleared somewhat, Rann and Den could make out what was inside. It looked like a large humanoid droid. It came to life and stepped out of the box. The body was clearly made of something tougher than bronzium, more likely durasteel armor. Rann's gaze slowly traveled up to the head and nearly threw up.

While the unclothed body was completely mechanical, much of the head still looked like it was covered with living skin, though it was of a pasty grey pallor. The left side was completely covered, with a patch of metal extending across the face over the bridge of the nose to the right eye. Both eyes were replaced with eerily-glowing red photoreceptors. There was no hair on the head, not even an eyebrow over the right eye. What was left of the face looked like a human male, but to Rann it looked like the face was merely a façade wrapped over a droid head. The cyborg stepped up right in front of Rann and Den, well taller than both of them, about the same as the digitigrade-legged woman.

"Greetings," it spoke with a deep metallic, but otherwise normal human male voice. "I am The Commander. I see that you both are enhanced humans…"

"More like _disabled_ ," Rann muttered inaudibly while the Commander spoke.

"…Relax and know that you are welcome here as our brother and sister," The Commander concluded.

Den lifted his otherwise inconspicuous left hand and pointed to it. "How did you know about this?"

The Commander smiled lightly. "Brother, my eyes can see plenty of things organic ones cannot. Much better than anything nature can imperfectly provide."

"So are you saying you are perfect?" Rann asked, still wrestling with her revulsion.

"Sister, absolute perfection is an unobtainable condition. However, I am very much closer to perfection than anyone in the galaxy."

Doctor Aram rubbed his hands together. "Yes Commander, you most certainly are, thanks to me."

"What are your names?" The Commander asked.

With Rann still trying to fight off her nausea, Den answered. "This is Rann and I'm Den."

"I have been briefed that you are not with the Empire. Are you with the Rebel Alliance, then?"

"What if we are?" Rann asked sharply.

The Commander laughed. "Your standing would still be lowered somewhat, but not as low as Imperials."

"So what now?" Den asked.

"As long as you comply, you are welcome as our guests and our kin. I have many questions, and I am sure you do as well."

Rann folded her arms over her chest, slightly jerking her face towards their escorts. "Does that mean your goons will stop pushing us around?"

"Of course," The Commander said as he gestured his broad mechanical hand towards the door. "This way, if you please."

"But sir," Aram called, "when can I examine our guests?"

"You can take a look at them later, Doctor."

Aram bowed. "Of course, of course!"

* * *

The Commander alone led Rann and Den down the corridors through a different part of the ship, away from the hangar where the _Skimmer_ was landed. They encountered numerous cyborgs of various kinds. While there were only a few different races aboard, the extent and kind of replacements varied wildly. The one thing that was common amongst all, male and female, was the more abbreviated manner of dress that readily displayed their cybernetic components. Rann found the whole practice repugnant.

Rann looked down at her own mechanical right leg. With the extensive damage to the long leg of her pant, most of the polished construct was visible. All she could think about was covering that leg back up again. She looked over at her bare left leg and lightly patted it as they walked, relieved to feel the soft, warm, _real_ skin with her hand. She anxiously took the tatters of the pant leg and tried to wrap them around her mechanical leg. It didn't work. She sighed in resignation.

The Commander led his guests to a tall double-wide door and opened it. Beyond was what appeared to be a large subterranean cavern. While the walls and ceiling were all rocky, the floor was more or less an extension of the ship's deck plates. There were plenty of pieces of technology everywhere, and the cavern was well-lit. It was a hub of activity.

Rann cocked her head. "I don't get it. Aren't we aboard your starship?"

"You were," the Commander replied, "but we have since landed in our base now. As soon as you were aboard, we jumped to hyperspace before the Empire could get a fix on our position."

"So just where is this place, exactly?" Den enquired.

The Commander laughed a deep laugh that resonated with metallic reverb. "You do not expect me to answer that, do you? You may not be Imperials, but I still cannot trust you to the fullest. Even if you are our brother and sister."

"I'm sure we haven't gone too far," Rann scoffed. "The Hyberians acted like your group was practically on their front doorstep."

The Commander laughed again. "How is Administrator Kirin these days?"

Den was slightly taken aback. "You know her?"

"Of course I do! Some of my people are Hyberians." He pointed off to one side. "Here comes someone you know."

Rann and Den looked over and saw a familiar little girl running towards them, waving her hand in the air. "Hiiiii!"

"Yanii!" Rann said. "You're okay!"

Yanii gave Rann as big of a hug as her little arms could give. "Of course I'm 'kay! I'm viz-tin' wit' muh Pah-pah!"

"Papa?!" Rann and Den both echoed, dumbfounded. They looked behind the girl to see a man walking towards them. He bore a grim expression and two completely cybernetic arms.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

* * *

 _Out of the corner of her eye, Rann saw the cyborg walk into the busy tavern. She fought against the grimace that spontaneously formed on her face. The myriad of cybernetics her quarry bore were anything but pleasant-looking. She decided she had to down the rest of her ale in one gulp in order to handle interacting with the hideous-looking, half-droid man. He sat down alone in a corner booth._

 _Rann strutted toward him, trying but failing to counter the slight limp imposed by her mechanical leg. She walked right up to the table before he would even acknowledge her presence._

 _He turned his round, pock-marked face to her. The photoreceptor that replaced his left eye glowed bright red as he looked her over. He stared at her covered leg for a moment before speaking. "What do you want?" he snarled._

" _I'm a_ Crack Shot _," Rann said smugly to her bounty._

 _He raised a hairless eyebrow with amused surprise. "_ You _? I expected someone a little less…"_

" _Normal?" she interjected._

" _Female."_

" _Tough. If you don't want my business then I'll take my money elsewhere." Rann turned to leave._

" _Nonsense!" he countered. "Credits are credits. Sit down, 'Crack Shot'." He motioned to the opposite bench with a three-fingered mechanical claw._

" _So how much do you want for the Quantum Sensor Processor?"_

" _It's hot, not cheap. How much you got?"_

" _Eight-thousand," she quickly answered._

 _The cyborg hissed through his teeth. "Not enough. But you could offer me_ supplemental payment _." One corner of his wide mouth salaciously curved upward._

 _Both of his claws were resting on the table in clear view, but Rann felt a mechanical tentacle traveling up her bared real leg below. She sneered with disgust._

" _And I know an inexpensive doctor who could replace this blood bag with a nice hydraulic strut that could easily launch you 10 meters up."_

 _Rann quickly drew her blaster and pointed it at his face. "Back off slime ball, or I'll launch_ you _10 meters!"_

 _Her quarry stared at her momentarily while grinding his teeth. She smiled deviously back. "Damned bounty hunter!" he howled, having realized her business had nothing to do with his._

 _Without warning, the table flew into Rann, knocking her out of the booth tumbling into another table. Then the booth quickly filled with plumes of fire. The cyborg laughed as he flew out the door and into the air on leg-mounted rockets. Rann scrambled to her feet after him, blowing through a couple of confused patrons._

 _She hustled to her speeder and quickly produced a T-28 sniper blaster rifle. She took aim at the fleeing cyborg and loosed a single shot, tagging her rapidly-ascending target about 100 meters away. He fell from the sky screaming._

 _Rann smiled with satisfaction. "Like I said, I'm a Crack Shot."_

* * *

"Yeh theh ones who brought muh girl here?" Yanii's father grunted. "Why'd yeh do that?!"

"Well, uh, it's like this," Den said as he nervously scratched the back of his head. "We didn't know Yanii was on our ship until it was too late. It's not our fault, honest!"

"C'mon, don' be mad at 'em, Pah-pah!" Yanii said. "Like he says, I sneeked on theh ship. Dey not know yeh here like I did."

Den cocked his head. "Huh? What about 'machines are neato'?"

"Dey are! And muh Pah-pah's one too!"

Rann shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "I don't get it. I thought the Hyberians hated the Iron Gauntlet."

"They do!" The Commander quickly replied. "But as I said, some of my people are also from Hyber."

"Why would they hate their own people?" Den asked.

"As fah as theh concerned, we're no longer Hyber'ans," Yanii's father said with a twinge of sadness as he presented his mechanical arms. "Yeh prob'ly saw that theh avoid tech. We was gravely injured protectin' our homes from theh Empire."

The Commander continued. "You see, their injuries would have been crippling or lethal had Doctor Aram not tended to them. Since the Hyberians shun most technology, they lack the modern medical capabilities needed to properly treat such injuries."

"Once we was rebuilt, our lov'd ones shunned us too. So we join'd Theh Commandeh to protect Hyber from a distance."

"But our intel shows that you're attacking Imperial ships beyond the system," Rann said. "That sounds like above and beyond defending Hyber."

"Yeh intel?!" Yanii's father said disdainfully. "Who theh hell are yeh?!"

"Stand down, Mertin," The Commander sternly said. "They are from the Rebel Alliance."

"But Commandeh, theh be theh ones who stir up theh dirt! Our homes wouldn't be in dangeh if theh stayed away!"

"Do not forget that some of your comrades were once Imperial soldiers, Mertin; myself included. We know well that Empire does not need the rebellion as an excuse to commit all of its atrocities."

"C'mon, Yanii," Mertin grumbled. "Theh be ones yeh don' need to be aroun'." He grabbed his young daughter's arm.

"But Pah-pah!" she protested as he pulled her away.

"Go an' play wit' yeh friend." Yanii hesitatingly complied and ran off toward a boy who wore a beat-up bronzium droid torso shell.

Rann saw who was with the boy and her face distorted slightly with anger. It was woman with digitigrade legs. She stood up and walked toward Rann, Den and The Commander, covering the distance quickly with her long strides. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over the newcomers.

"So what're we going to do with them, Commander?" she asked with clear contempt.

"Satiyra, they are our brother and sister and should be treated as such."

She crossed her arms. "So just because they're 'borgs we just welcome them openly? They could be Imperial spies!"

"What?!" Rann blurted as she looked up at Satiyra. "You already said we weren't Imps!"

"You don't _look_ like you are, but that means nothing," she sneered. "The rebels aren't much better. My husband was caught in the middle of a rebel-Empire conflict and badly wounded to the point of needing to be 'borged. My son and I followed him to The Iron Gauntlet. Then my husband was killed during an Imperial raid a few months ago. I also lost my legs in that raid."

Rann gulped. "I-I'm sorry for your loss."

Satiyra leaned down slightly. "You don't know what it's like, so don't bother."

Rann turned to Den, who shrugged. "I don't know about losing a husband. But I at least know what it's like to lose my leg." She gestured to said leg.

"I have no problem with mine!" Satiyra extended her digitigrade legs to their fullest extent, bringing her height to nearly three meters. "My legs are a vast improvement over the originals!"

Rann took a step backwards, surprised by Satiyra's quick growth of stature. "The Imps took my leg too, so back off!" she angrily snapped back.

Satiyra condescendingly laughed. "Oh boo-hoo! Just be thankful you're not scooting around in a hover chair like some pitiful invalid!"

"Enough!" The Commander barked. The metallic resonance in his voice rang more clearly. "Sati! You need to remember that Rann is your sister and should treat her as such!"

Satiyra brought herself down to her normal height, but was no less intimidating. "She's not _my_ sister," she scoffed. "She's an ingrate!" She turned and stormed off toward Yanii and the boy playing with her.

Den put his hand on Rann's shoulder. "Don't worry about her, sweetheart. She didn't mean it."

"Yes she did," Rann replied with subdued anger. "And she's right! It took me a long time to accept my leg, and I still have problems with it sometimes." She played with the tattered leg of her pant. "I'll be the first to admit it."

The Commander cocked his head slightly. "But why?"

Rann regarded The Commander as he towered before her. It was hard for her to look at him, being that he looked like a hulking humanoid droid with only a human face. She struggled with the idea that he still had some semblance of humanity somewhere inside his mechanical body. Rann still felt less-than-human, even though her replacement paled in comparison to The Commander's. As such, she figured her feelings meant nothing.

Rann frowned. "I need to change my clothes," she said as she pulled at her tattered pant leg again.

"Hmmm, very well," The Commander replied. "I will have someone take you back to your ship."

* * *

Den worked the pilot console as he surveyed the _Skimmer_ 's systems. "It doesn't look like they did anything to her." As he looked out of the forward viewport, Den noticed there was no activity. "I guess they trust us."

"There's no reason for them not to," Rann called from the aft deck. "After all, we're their _brother_ and _sister_."

Her sarcasm was not lost on Den. "That's no way to talk about our hosts. They're not all that bad." He swung the chair around and what he saw quickly turned his frown upside down.

Rann walked up towards the cockpit, dressed in her new attire – a sport top and matching brief sport shorts. This left her cybernetic leg completely exposed all the way up past her thigh, except for her boot. She was unnerved by the sight of the leg, if only slightly.

"Hellooo there!" Den cooed as he sprang up and kissed her. "I'd say this new look suits you very well."

Rann smiled. "How am I supposed to believe that? You're only allowed to give me compliments. All I had left were my exercise clothes. Not my first choice, but it's better than wearing ripped-up pants."

"Hmmm, that's a tough call." He winked.

"Stop it." She turned around and grabbed a strip of black cloth. Carefully, she wrapped it tightly around her thigh like a bandage to conceal the seam between the mechanics and her flesh. She then grabbed her jacket and put it on. "Okay, I'm ready."

Den returned the ship's systems to standby mode. "You _sure_ are," he said as he turned back to Rann.

"Stop it," she repeated with mock annoyance and a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

 _Dazed, Rann lay on the stairwell landing for a moment. She shook the confusion from her head and tried to sit up. Her cybernetic leg bore the brunt of the thermal detonator's explosion and didn't respond very well to her will. The leg of her pant was torn, revealing the damaged mechanisms beneath. She struggled to pull herself up and sat up against the wall with a grunt. As Rann reached for her blaster, the Imperial scout trooper appeared at the top of the flight with his blaster trained on her._

" _Stay where you are!" the trooper commanded._

 _Rann angrily put her hands up. He carefully made his way down the steps, never taking his aim off of the pirate. Other than an occasional twitch from her damaged artificial leg, Rann did not move. The scout trooper stopped at the foot of the steps and stood over his captive._

 _The trooper looked at Rann as she sat in front of him. He noticed her real flesh-and-blood leg, which was bared by the high cut of the pant's left leg. He admired the sight of it for a few moments. Then he noticed her other leg, twitching and sparking from within the pant's full-length right leg. He focused on it for a moment and realized it was mechanical. He pointed at it._

" _What is_ that _?" Even through the speaker in his helmet, the intense disgust could still be heard in his voice. "_ What the hell are you _?"_

 _Rann's anger welled up inside of her. The Imperials did this to her; it was because of their sadistic torture that she lost her real right leg._

" _You're not_ human _!" He aimed his pistol right at Rann's head, ready to put her down._

 _The scout trooper's disgusted comment was his final mistake. Rann struggled for a long time to feel human again after receiving her cybernetic limb. Intense rage flashed in her face and she mustered the strength to sweep her real leg into his. Caught off guard, he toppled down onto the landing next to her. Before he could recover, she retrieved her blaster and loosed numerous blasts into his chest point-blank, screaming the entire time. When the blaster's power pack was spent, she let go of the trigger and lowered it toward the floor._

" _I'm more human than_ you _, filthy sithspawn!" Rann spat at the recently-deceased trooper._

* * *

"Relax, Rann," Den said as he walked with her down the corridor. Rann's tense gait was as stiff as a protocol droid's. "Everyone here is fine with you."

She couldn't relax. She didn't have a problem with her more abbreviated manner of dress, but having her mechanical leg out in plain view made her uneasy. She spent many years purposefully concealing it trying to make herself more acceptable. Ever since she met Den and fell in love with him, she grew more comfortable with being a cyborg. Still, she chose to keep hiding her nature; though it was mostly from herself. Rann knew in her mind that no one in the Iron Gauntlet would think anything wrong with her. In fact, where better to belong when you're a cyborg than with other cyborgs? However, her heart was still wounded and will never fully recover from the old trauma.

Doctor Aram seemed to appear out of nowhere right in front of the pair, startling Rann to the point that she instinctively went for her blaster, which she was not carrying.

"Hello there, hello there!" the wizened man said with a gleam in his eye. "The Commander told me you had gone back to your ship to change." He quickly grabbed Rann's hand with his long, bony fingers. "You must come with me back to my laboratory."

"Wha-?" Rann said confusingly as she quickly wrenched her hand from his grasp. "No thank you!"

"But now is the best time for me to investigate your lovely leg." Aram reached down to touch it, but Rann swatted his hand away. The old cyberneticist looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Why do you resist? I promise I will not harm you."

Rann couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about Aram's voice and mannerisms did not sit well with her. It was as if he ignored her humanity as focused on the mechanical construct that replaced her leg. He sounded distant and clinical. Cold and just plain creepy.

Den wedged his way between Rann and Aram. "Look pal, the lady said 'no'! In case you hadn't heard, that's the opposite of 'yes'!"

Aram locked his eyes on Den. "I'm not interested in you. Your hand is quite typical." He leaned aside, looking past Den to catch another look at Rann's leg. "But her leg is remarkable! Do you not understand me?"

"I uhhh-" Den managed to get out before the doctor zipped around him and knelt close to her leg.

Aram's hands hovered around Rann's leg as if he were stroking a force field around it. "The designer sacrificed function for form, but superbly so!" He was clearly mesmerized by the polished durasteel limb contoured by mechanisms that emulated the shapes of natural musculature. He looked up at Rann. "Would it make a difference if I said 'please', hmm?"

Rann looked down at the old man, trying to decide if she wanted to holler at him or swat him upside the head.

"The coot's not gonna stop pestering you until you let him look," Den said as he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'll be right there with you." He looked deeply into Rann's eyes. "Trust me," he softly said.

She took a slow deep breath then looked at Doctor Aram. "Alright. I guess you can take a look."

Aram sprang to his feet, clapping his bony hands. "Excellent, excellent!" He excitedly grasped her hand. "This way," he said as he pulled her along. "This way!"

* * *

Once they returned to Aram's lab, Rann and Den could see that the examination table was already prepped, complete with an FX-7 medical droid standing by.

"Well, someone's sure of himself," Rann scoffed.

An ambiguous smile sprang from Aram's face. "I am, I am!"

The trio walked up to the table and Rann sat down at the edge.

"Please remove your jacket and boots," the aged cyberneticist said.

She did as Aram commanded, though not without some hesitation. She handed her garments to Den.

As he took Rann's clothes into his arms he eyed Aram. "If you hurt her in the slightest, I'll give you ten times that."

"I assure you, this is just an examination," he replied, not taking his eyes off of Rann's mech leg. "I want to learn more about the design of this leg of hers. Please lay down, my dear."

Rann lay flat on her back and Aram turned to the control console. The FX-7 stood by like a statue. After a few button presses, a mechanical arm came down and positioned a scanner over her mechanical foot. Den watched closely as it slowly glided up the length of her leg. It stopped when it reached her hip and then pulled away. The console's large monitor displayed an intricately-detailed image of Rann's cybernetic leg, revealing the inner electronic and mechanical components. Den looked at the display, as fascinated as he was ignorant.

Aram excitedly ran his finger along the image. "Yes, yes!" He stopped at the point where her flesh and bone met the durasteel and wires. He leaned in close to the screen and focused on that area. "Fascinating, fascinating!" He returned to the table.

"What is it?" Rann asked.

Aram removed the cloth around Rann's leg and began poking it just above the junction between skin and metal with his finger. She couldn't help but squirm slightly.

"Does that hurt?" Aram asked.

Rann winced. "Unng, yes! Painful _and_ creepy!"

"Does it always hurt?"

"Only when it's attached," she answered with a frown. "Ow!"

"Hmmm, I believe the sheer over-complexity of the interface is what causes your level of pain. That is another advantage to my designs. By omitting extraneous connections, it also minimizes the subject's discomfort."

"Isn't that nice?" Rann moaned.

The Doctor motioned to the medical droid, which extended three of its appendages towards her leg.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rann yelped as she retreated from the droid. "What're you doing?!"

Den grabbed Aram's shoulder and forcefully spun him around. "Hey! What's going on?!"

"Calm yourself," the old man said. "I need to look more closely at the interfaces. The analysis is minimally invasive, and no more painful than what she normally experiences."

"That's enough!" Den said as he grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Rann. We're outta here."

"No, Den. It's okay. It doesn't sound _too_ bad. But you owe me a drink later on."

"Fine. After Doctor Creepy does his thing, we'll go get that drink." Den flashed her a smile.

"Yes, yes," Aram said as he pushed Den back. "It won't take long." He leaned over Rann. "The tests will make your leg twitch, but you'll need to lie still." With those words, metal restraints quickly reached around her ankles and waist, binding her hips and legs firmly to the table.

"NOOO!" Rann screamed as she violently struggled in the restraints, desperately trying to break free. Horrifying images flashed through her mind with a painfully sharp intensity – the Imperial commander who took her prisoner; he 2-1B torture droid at the foot of the table. The unspeakable pain normally relegated to suppressed memories now at the forefront of her frantic mind. Aram stumbled back, shocked by her reaction.

"LET HER GO!" Den screamed as he sucker-punched the dumbfounded cyberneticist. Aram tumbled to the deck in a crumpled heap. Den darted to the console, trying to find the controls to the restraints. "How do you turn this karking thing off?!" he yelled as he frantically searched the panel's wide array of knobs, switches and buttons.

The FX-7 droid reached an appendage to the edge of the table and actuated a control which released the bonds. Rann flew off the table and scrambled away backwards on her rear until her back was against the wall. She was hyperventilating and her skin was glazed with sweat.

Den ran to her side. "Sweetheart, you okay?" Rann looked at him wild-eyed, but didn't answer. He shook her shoulders. "Rann!"

She blinked a couple of times. "Den," she uttered breathlessly, "help me…" Her eyes rolled up and closed, and she toppled over on her side, motionless.

Den scooped Rann up into his arms. "No!" He put his ear to her chest. He breathed a sigh of relief when he could hear her heart beat and see her chest subtly rise and fall with gentle breaths. He held her tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry," he softly said. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Back on board the _Skimmer_ , Den gently tucked Rann into the compact bunk. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead as she remained unconscious. He angrily stormed down the ramp back out to the hangar. The Commander stood alone at the foot of the ramp.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?!" Den yelled. "Do you think you can poke around on a person's body like they're just some piece of machinery?!"

The Commander crossed his heavy durasteel arms over his broad armored chest. "Doctor Aram merely wanted to learn more about her leg. He had no idea she would respond in such a manner."

"Your _doctor_ nearly gave Rann a heart attack!"

"You gave my doctor a black eye. Cyborg or not, I do not appreciate you assaulting any of my people."

"Tough mynock meat! He gave us no warning before he locked Rann down on that blasted table! For all she knew, he was going to burn her other leg off just like the Empire did!"

The Commander cocked his head slightly. "I see. So that is the story she did not want to tell. How were we supposed to know about her torture?"

"That doesn't matter!" Den growled. "You don't just go tying people down without consent! Rann isn't some lab animal to be experimented on with no regard to her wishes!"

"This is most unfortunate," The Commander said with a metallic sigh. "I thought we could be allies, as fellow cyborgs against the Empire. Given the recently-increased Imperial pressure, I had even considered joining the Rebel Alliance. However, if this is typical Rebel behavior, then I must revisit my consideration."

"Great, our mission's a bust," Den grumbled.

The Commander's photoreceptors glowed more brightly. "Ahhh, so that is why you are here after all. I suspected as much. It is through your own actions that your mission failed."

"That's up for debate. But whatever. We won't be wasting our time or yours anymore."

The Commander relaxed his arms. "You may say goodbye to Yanii before you take your leave."

"Thanks," Den answered flatly. "Rann will like that after she's rested a little bit. Just make sure you keep that damned _doctor_ of yours away from us."

"You need not worry about Aram anymore." The large mostly-machine cyborg turned and walked away. The hangar's deck plates creaked in protest beneath his heavy alloy footsteps.

Den watched as The Commander lumbered off. He took a deep calming breath before re-entering the _Skimmer_.


End file.
